Note: This is a limited one time only brew. This one poured with a dark tan 1 finger head. The nose was a mix of chocolate, raisins, rum and roasted malts. The taste matched the nose, with rum the primary flavor, followed by chocolate, coffee, sweet malts, raisins and some vanilla. The mouth feel was smooth and silky. I have heard rumors that some of the bottles have been infected and had a “sour” taste. This bottle was not infected and no such sourness was noted. I hope I had more than one bottle in my beer stocked fridge. If not, I hope Avery will consider making this brew again in the future. This was one great after dinner beer.

On the Label: # 3 in our Barrel-AgedSeries. Stout Aged in Rum Barrels. Bottled on Jan 15 2010 with a production of 315 cases. Experimentation. Ales and lagers that defy styles or categories. This is what we are about: our driving force, our passion. To further facilitate this innovative spirit, we’ve developed our Barrel-Aged Series where anything, and we mean ANYTHING, goes! Brewed for those as adventurous as we are! No. 3. Swabbies, what could be better than yer daily rats o’ thick, chewy, and robust Imperial Oatmeal Stout? What say you, mateys? Aye, throw it in yer beloved empty rum barrels for aging! To our sweethearts and wives, may they never meet! Huzzah!

From their website:(newsletter about the release)

“No. 3 in our Barrel-Aged Series will release on January 15th 2010 at the Avery Tap Room.

Be present at the release to make sure you get some bottles of this incredible and indelibly unique brew: Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in Gosling’s Rum barrels. Huge. Chewy. Endlessly deep. Smooth beyond belief with plentiful amounts of subtle flavors that work their way out as you sip. This beer is so good that you can quaff a pint or sip and savor a few ounces with equal ease. The only difficult part is deciding what you want to do with it! $8 per 12oz bottle. Max 6 bottles per customer.

We’ll have just a tad over 300 cases of this beer (24/12oz.) to go around. Limited one time release, with a few cases being sent to select states after the release date. Coming to Black Tot Day at the Avery Tap Room is the only way to GUARANTEE that you get your hands on some bottles! We’ll also have unoaked, rye barrel and bourbon barrel versions of the Imperial Oatmeal Stout on tap just for the release. No door charge.